A lil bit of a dud here, sorry. For some reason, quite a few of the summer dudes just didn't feel like answering their phone, DMs or text messages. And they're in Norman now, so oh well. We turn the page.
So here we go: General Booty, JJ Hester, Gavin Sawchuk, R Mason Thomas, Otega Oweh, Luke Northweather, Joe Bamisile.
News/notes: Amazing to be at OU for the spring game weekend. Had him all excited once again... A friend had to call him to tell him about TBOW leaving. It was crazy. B/c Sawchuk had the state championship game the following week, he seriously tuned out anything about the coaching change/search. 'Gave me an excuse and something else to focus on.' When state championship was done, Venables was in and full steam ahead... Kudos to DeMarco Murray and Cale Gundy. But special S/O to Bob Stoops, who made the visit during that one week and reiterated about how one person doesn't make the OU program... Murray being retained was huge, huge. 'I knew I had somebody looking out for me.' ...Schools came in like crazy after Riley left. Sawchuk, simply put, trusted the process... Sawchuk/family asked Joe Castiglione back at the BBQ 'what happens if Riley leaves?' Funny looking back now. Joe C said Riley wasn't gonna leave. But Sawchuk pressed for a what if scenario. Really funny looking back on it... Didn't know BV until the last few months. One of his HS coaches played with BV at KSU, so he had heard about how genuine Venables was gonna be. He has lived up to that billing... 'Push us but love up on us' and help us to be our best... Being at OU in spring? Program is a lot more focused, all the lil things... If it wasn't OU, it would have been Ohio State or USC...His roommate is Jake Taylor and Sawchuk is gonna wear No. 27.
News/notes: Wasn't thinking about OU at all before the coaching changes... Day before the state title game was when Miguel Chavis offered. OU still wasn't in the pic, though... As his official visit neared, he started to think it might happen. The visit solidified it as the right choice... 'Staff, tradition, where God led me' and place to be in college football... Visited Clemson for unofficial in June 2021 and BV was the one showing him around. Funny to think how it all worked out... Didn't know a thing about Chavis, but he loves him. Somebody who is going to pour into you and have that same energy every single day... Paid attention to TBOW leaving but never thought it would affect him, didn't think much of it at all... Key Lawrence was his host on his visit and he loved watching the team and Lawrence spent more time talking about life than in trying to convince him to be a Sooner... Hearing 75,000 at the spring game screaming Boomer and Sooner gave him major goosebumps... 6-2, 218 as of last week. Believes he can put on weight easily once he's in a real nutrition/strength program... Didn't know his roommate... OU and Miami were his top two... Thinks No. 32 will be his number. Five is the number of grace in The Bible and 3 +2 = 5.
News/notes: News broke out that he was in the portal and coaches started texting him like crazy. It was Cale Gundy who reached out... First conversation went really, really good. OU stressed how badly it needed a wide receiver... After entering the portal, Hester was a little surprised at how fast everything went... OU was the first visit and turns out, the only visit... Unbelievable feeling to be back home. 'Being at OU - it just felt right.' ...Talked about when you know, you know.... BV and Jeff Lebby are great guys that really know what they're doing... SOUL Mission caught his attention immediately... As much as it helped to have all those Tulsa area guys, it was Daniel Parker who meant the most. Parker mentioned how the environment is so different and everybody is focused on one goal. Even Parker has changed. He's like a leader now... Thought about committing during the visit. Took a step back, talked with his family, made the call... Super excited to be playing with Gentry Williams again and hoping to make Booker T. a pipeline for OU going forward.
News/notes: Toward the end of OU visit, his mind had been made up that OU was the spot... Lebby came down during Tyler JC spring ball and watched him. Told him there was a possibility of something maybe being there down the road... Needed depth and competition. Stressed repeatedly... Booty loved Tyler, but you don't pass up OU. 'If I can do this now, go ahead and do it' was thought process... New Mexico, McNeese State, Nicholls State were other schools offering a 2022 opportunity as well... BV made him feel at home. And Lebby is an unbelievable offensive mind... Had to bet on himself after COVID disrupted everything... It was tough but 'everybody else was in same position' so couldn't be better. Booty said he was just happy to being playing football again... Started talking to Lebby as a senior at Allen. Offered a walk-on spot at Ole Miss by Lane Kiffin, but it wasn't something Booty said his family could do at the time... Look at the pass numbers for Lebby's quarterbacks and the run game. He knows what he's doing... BV has more energy than anybody he has ever seen... Just another change. Four high schools, four systems. One juco, now OU. Always an adjustment... Yes, General Booty is his real name. Dad has always appreciated military and said he would name his son General. Sometimes gets asked to show his driver's license to to show it's legit. And others are jealous about how cool the name is.
News/notes: Process was a lil stressful at first but everything came into place. Just had to be patient... Northweather had some mid-major DI and DII offers, but he was worried he wasn't gonna get to live his Power 5 dream... Fun to be there for spring football game weekend. Awesome. Saw the whole atmosphere and all the support for all the sports... Moser had watched Northweather workout a couple of weeks prior to that and mentioned an offer could happen... After seeing OU, he was done. He wanted to wait, though, out of respect to Missouri and Wisconsin and let them know... OU coaches, the team. Loves what Moser is doing. Talked a lot about the offense and how Northweather believes he'll fit in... Jacob Groves was his host, focused a lot on the support the program gets... Said Moser is a smart coach but also energetic. Brings an attitude with him... Northweather played a lot of the five position as a senior and a pick-and-pop guy. OU showed a lot of Tanner Groves film and said he could be used the same way... He was a back-to-the-basket guy until his junior year and then developed a perimeter game... It was a tough adjustment, initially, but the more he did it, the more comfortable he got. And obviously, it was that versatility that paid off.
News/notes: Has always been inspired by his parents and what they've put into him and his siblings... 'You have to put the work in the dark to be able to shine in the bright lights.' Mentioned how much he loves to work… NBA has always been on his mind. He knows Porter Moser can help get him there… Oweh said he trusts Coach Moser and the development plan they have for me… OU came in right after Peach Jam. A lot of people thought it was late. But as soon as they offered him, they made this huge push and showing him the ways he can improve and a daily plan of what he could expect at OU. It shocked him and had him interested… OU offense is similar to what he did in high school. It's going to be fast pace and get it ‘n go. Playing downhill. It’s what Moser really wants to do… He had a good support system. Parents and coaches. Met with them multiple times before made any decision… Business and sports management is what he's looking to study… He brings a competitive edge, a willingness to work. Most of all, he plans to come in for an immediate impact and win some games… Very excited about working with Milos Uzan and what those two will bring to the program.
News/notes: After hitting the portal, the link was assistant Emanuel Dildy from their Northwestern days. Decision took a lot shorter than people even know... Wasn't worried about not seeing campus before committing. Several phone calls with Moser had Bamisile confident everything was going in right direction... Washington DC took a toll on him, especially mental health. Excited to be back in a college town environment... Bamisile said he knows he can be a big-time scorer and is excited to see what kind of defender he will become... He's a confident player and the last year taught him how to be in turn with himself as a player. Bamisile said he knows what his game is, what are his spots, what's a good shot, etc... Bamisile is confident the waiver will work out. But even if it doesn't, he's glad to be out of DC... Moser and Dildy did a great job of talking non-basketball things, showing Bamisile there is some humanity in coaches... Used Google Earth to see where Norman was and the Lloyd Noble Center. 'That's as equipped as I am with Norman knowledge' but fired up... And of course, if you wanna follow Bamisile's music career, he goes by the name Phouelisi.
So here we go: General Booty, JJ Hester, Gavin Sawchuk, R Mason Thomas, Otega Oweh, Luke Northweather, Joe Bamisile.
News/notes: Amazing to be at OU for the spring game weekend. Had him all excited once again... A friend had to call him to tell him about TBOW leaving. It was crazy. B/c Sawchuk had the state championship game the following week, he seriously tuned out anything about the coaching change/search. 'Gave me an excuse and something else to focus on.' When state championship was done, Venables was in and full steam ahead... Kudos to DeMarco Murray and Cale Gundy. But special S/O to Bob Stoops, who made the visit during that one week and reiterated about how one person doesn't make the OU program... Murray being retained was huge, huge. 'I knew I had somebody looking out for me.' ...Schools came in like crazy after Riley left. Sawchuk, simply put, trusted the process... Sawchuk/family asked Joe Castiglione back at the BBQ 'what happens if Riley leaves?' Funny looking back now. Joe C said Riley wasn't gonna leave. But Sawchuk pressed for a what if scenario. Really funny looking back on it... Didn't know BV until the last few months. One of his HS coaches played with BV at KSU, so he had heard about how genuine Venables was gonna be. He has lived up to that billing... 'Push us but love up on us' and help us to be our best... Being at OU in spring? Program is a lot more focused, all the lil things... If it wasn't OU, it would have been Ohio State or USC...His roommate is Jake Taylor and Sawchuk is gonna wear No. 27.
News/notes: Wasn't thinking about OU at all before the coaching changes... Day before the state title game was when Miguel Chavis offered. OU still wasn't in the pic, though... As his official visit neared, he started to think it might happen. The visit solidified it as the right choice... 'Staff, tradition, where God led me' and place to be in college football... Visited Clemson for unofficial in June 2021 and BV was the one showing him around. Funny to think how it all worked out... Didn't know a thing about Chavis, but he loves him. Somebody who is going to pour into you and have that same energy every single day... Paid attention to TBOW leaving but never thought it would affect him, didn't think much of it at all... Key Lawrence was his host on his visit and he loved watching the team and Lawrence spent more time talking about life than in trying to convince him to be a Sooner... Hearing 75,000 at the spring game screaming Boomer and Sooner gave him major goosebumps... 6-2, 218 as of last week. Believes he can put on weight easily once he's in a real nutrition/strength program... Didn't know his roommate... OU and Miami were his top two... Thinks No. 32 will be his number. Five is the number of grace in The Bible and 3 +2 = 5.
News/notes: News broke out that he was in the portal and coaches started texting him like crazy. It was Cale Gundy who reached out... First conversation went really, really good. OU stressed how badly it needed a wide receiver... After entering the portal, Hester was a little surprised at how fast everything went... OU was the first visit and turns out, the only visit... Unbelievable feeling to be back home. 'Being at OU - it just felt right.' ...Talked about when you know, you know.... BV and Jeff Lebby are great guys that really know what they're doing... SOUL Mission caught his attention immediately... As much as it helped to have all those Tulsa area guys, it was Daniel Parker who meant the most. Parker mentioned how the environment is so different and everybody is focused on one goal. Even Parker has changed. He's like a leader now... Thought about committing during the visit. Took a step back, talked with his family, made the call... Super excited to be playing with Gentry Williams again and hoping to make Booker T. a pipeline for OU going forward.
News/notes: Toward the end of OU visit, his mind had been made up that OU was the spot... Lebby came down during Tyler JC spring ball and watched him. Told him there was a possibility of something maybe being there down the road... Needed depth and competition. Stressed repeatedly... Booty loved Tyler, but you don't pass up OU. 'If I can do this now, go ahead and do it' was thought process... New Mexico, McNeese State, Nicholls State were other schools offering a 2022 opportunity as well... BV made him feel at home. And Lebby is an unbelievable offensive mind... Had to bet on himself after COVID disrupted everything... It was tough but 'everybody else was in same position' so couldn't be better. Booty said he was just happy to being playing football again... Started talking to Lebby as a senior at Allen. Offered a walk-on spot at Ole Miss by Lane Kiffin, but it wasn't something Booty said his family could do at the time... Look at the pass numbers for Lebby's quarterbacks and the run game. He knows what he's doing... BV has more energy than anybody he has ever seen... Just another change. Four high schools, four systems. One juco, now OU. Always an adjustment... Yes, General Booty is his real name. Dad has always appreciated military and said he would name his son General. Sometimes gets asked to show his driver's license to to show it's legit. And others are jealous about how cool the name is.
News/notes: Process was a lil stressful at first but everything came into place. Just had to be patient... Northweather had some mid-major DI and DII offers, but he was worried he wasn't gonna get to live his Power 5 dream... Fun to be there for spring football game weekend. Awesome. Saw the whole atmosphere and all the support for all the sports... Moser had watched Northweather workout a couple of weeks prior to that and mentioned an offer could happen... After seeing OU, he was done. He wanted to wait, though, out of respect to Missouri and Wisconsin and let them know... OU coaches, the team. Loves what Moser is doing. Talked a lot about the offense and how Northweather believes he'll fit in... Jacob Groves was his host, focused a lot on the support the program gets... Said Moser is a smart coach but also energetic. Brings an attitude with him... Northweather played a lot of the five position as a senior and a pick-and-pop guy. OU showed a lot of Tanner Groves film and said he could be used the same way... He was a back-to-the-basket guy until his junior year and then developed a perimeter game... It was a tough adjustment, initially, but the more he did it, the more comfortable he got. And obviously, it was that versatility that paid off.
News/notes: Has always been inspired by his parents and what they've put into him and his siblings... 'You have to put the work in the dark to be able to shine in the bright lights.' Mentioned how much he loves to work… NBA has always been on his mind. He knows Porter Moser can help get him there… Oweh said he trusts Coach Moser and the development plan they have for me… OU came in right after Peach Jam. A lot of people thought it was late. But as soon as they offered him, they made this huge push and showing him the ways he can improve and a daily plan of what he could expect at OU. It shocked him and had him interested… OU offense is similar to what he did in high school. It's going to be fast pace and get it ‘n go. Playing downhill. It’s what Moser really wants to do… He had a good support system. Parents and coaches. Met with them multiple times before made any decision… Business and sports management is what he's looking to study… He brings a competitive edge, a willingness to work. Most of all, he plans to come in for an immediate impact and win some games… Very excited about working with Milos Uzan and what those two will bring to the program.
News/notes: After hitting the portal, the link was assistant Emanuel Dildy from their Northwestern days. Decision took a lot shorter than people even know... Wasn't worried about not seeing campus before committing. Several phone calls with Moser had Bamisile confident everything was going in right direction... Washington DC took a toll on him, especially mental health. Excited to be back in a college town environment... Bamisile said he knows he can be a big-time scorer and is excited to see what kind of defender he will become... He's a confident player and the last year taught him how to be in turn with himself as a player. Bamisile said he knows what his game is, what are his spots, what's a good shot, etc... Bamisile is confident the waiver will work out. But even if it doesn't, he's glad to be out of DC... Moser and Dildy did a great job of talking non-basketball things, showing Bamisile there is some humanity in coaches... Used Google Earth to see where Norman was and the Lloyd Noble Center. 'That's as equipped as I am with Norman knowledge' but fired up... And of course, if you wanna follow Bamisile's music career, he goes by the name Phouelisi.
